The Season of Jazz

A Pair of Clean Sheets Have the Powerhouses On Top After Leg 1

The Champions League continued on Wednesday as the final two Round of 16 matchups played their opening legs. With both Real Madrid and Manchester City winning away from home, the favorites are in strong position to advance to the quarterfinals.

Real Madrid def. Atalanta (1-0)

Remo Freuler’s 17th-minute red card forced the Italian side to play a man down for most of the match. While that all but guarantee a win for Real Madrid, it took until the 86th minute until Ferland Mendy scored off of a short corner to break through with the game’s only goal. Without a shot on target for the entire match, Atalanta fought hard to preserve a draw but ultimately fell.

Man. City def. Monchengladbach (2-0)

After breaking into the top four of the Bundesliga last season, Monchengladbach have struggled this year and are currently in 8th place. Against the top team in the Premier League, those struggles continued. Manchester City controlled the match with Bernardo Silva scoring in the 29th minute and Gabriel Jesus doubling the advantage midway through the second half.

Additional Storylines

UEFA: Mendy’s Late Strike Breaks Ten-Man Hosts’ Resistance

The Guardian: Imperious Manchester City Hypnotize Mönchengladbach Into Compliance

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NHL

Canadiens Can Their Coach

Photo: Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images

Montreal’s Firing of Claude Julien After 3-Game Losing Streak is a Head Scratcher

8-2-2. That was how the Montreal Canadiens began the 2021 season. No one would’ve expected that head coach Claude Julien would be fired by the end of February, but that’s exactly what happened after a three-game losing streak and a record of 1-3-2 in their last six. Julien signed a five-year deal with Montreal in 2017. He ranks 13th in NHL history with 667 wins. Assistant coach Dominique Ducharme takes over as the interim coach for the remainder of the season.

Mid-Season Firings: A Gamble

Why is this move a head-scratcher? Not only do the Canadiens have a solid record (9-5-4), they began the year with a plethora of new pieces that can often take time to gel. Forward Tyler Toffoli was one of the new additions, and he’s been a revelation with 12 goals — third-most in the league. In the last five seasons, the NHL has seen nearly 30 mid-season coaching changes. Only once did that decision result in winning the Stanley Cup Finals (St. Louis Blues, 2019).

Additional Storylines

USA Today: Canadiens Fire Claude Julien Amid Losing Stretch

SportsNet: Hockey World Reacts to Canadiens Firing Claude Julien, Kirk Muller

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SOCCER

Pitch Perfect: USWNT Wins SheBelieves Cup

Photo: Brad Smith / Getty Images

USWNT Defeats Argentina (6-0) to Win 2nd Straight SheBelieves Cup

Three up, three down. The U.S. Women’s National Team was in top form over the last two weeks of the sixth annual SheBelieves Cup — a four-team tournament of nations including the United States, Canada, Brazil and Argentina. The U.S. swept all three opponents by a total goal differential of 9-0, concluding with last night’s 6-0 shellacking of Argentina. Megan Rapinoe scored the first two goals of the match before Carli Lloyd, Kristie Mewis, Alex Morgan and Christen Press added to the onslaught.

Destined for Gold?

The core of the USWNT roster remains almost identical to the one that won the 2019 World Cup in France. If this year’s club plays at this level moving forward, they should be the favorites for the Olympics this summer.

Watch: USWNT Defeats Argentina (6-0)

Additional Storylines

ESPN: USWNT Worked as a Unit to Unlock Argentina

Just Women’s Sports: The USWNT’s Toughest Challenge: Choosing An Olympic Roster

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